Implement for soil preparation



12, W46. L. HILL 293949771 IMPLEMENT FOR SO IL PREPARATION Filed April 14, 1944 1 B Gi INVENTUR v ATTO R N E Y Patented Feb. 12, 1946 UNITED STATE s OFFICE IMPLEMENT FOR son. PREPARATION Dudley' L. 111, Peekskill', N; Y. Application April 14, 1944, Serial No. 530,969

4 Claims. (e1. 9143) ual operation, for the preparation of one plant-- ing' hole at a time. Under certain conditions, however, it is desirable to prepare the soil on a larger scale, using a power' driven implement.

'My invention has therefore for its object toprovide amachine which can be used for the simultaneous preparation of several planting holes,

spaced apart at a definite distance. I provide for this purpose a frame, hingedly connected to a vehicle such-as a tractor, truck or wagon, meansbeing also provided to lower the frame into an operativej-position-over a ground in which it is desired to bore planting holes. The frame is provided with a plurality of rotati vely' supported augers and cages or baskets surrounding theaugers for the earth, raised or conveyed by the augers. V

Another object of my invention is to provide means tooperate the auger by a suitable power take-off on the truck or tractor to which the implement is attached, with a further provision manually to operate the augers if the power is unavailable.

Another object of my invention is to provide earth boring units in my implement, each unit.

being adapted to breaking up of the earth lumps in the boring hole and, also for preparing a finer comminuted soil for filling the upper portion of the hole after planting.

Still another object of my invention is to provide means to cultivate the plants when they begin to grow from the seeds.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specification and drawing in which Fig. l is a sectional elevational view of the portion of my attachment with power driven augers;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same on a reduced scale, showing also a portion of the power operated vehicle;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a cultivator used with my implement;

Figs. 5 and 6 are fractional detail views of modified devices.

My implement for soil preparation consists of a frame having a horizontal front bar I and side bars 2, rigidly connected with the bar I. The

miner ends of the side bars are pivoted at 3 to the sides of a vehicle 4, preferably power operated such as a tractor or truck, with a power take-off vertical managers power take-off maybe of a ,conventionaltype, connected with the reversible transmissionof the vehicle: 4". The front bar I is provided with eyeb'olts I at the-ends for cables 8 passing over sheaves 9 on a shaft Ill. The shaft is journal'ed in bearing brackets 12 at the sides ofthe vehicle [the ends ofthe' shaft being provided with handles It for its manual operation. By turning the handles, it is possible to raise or to lower the bar I for placing the im plemen 1 into an operative or inoperative position.

The" baris provided with elongated slots It to which, are fastened bearings l5 by bolts :H threaded inside for threadedshafts 16, ll, 18 supporting augers 19v at the lower ends. Collars 22, 2'3 limit the vertical movement of the shafts in the threaded bearing or nuts [5 causing the shafts to be stopped in the extreme up or down positions". T lQ S make pos$i le ad ustment'iot the Shafts" to? ifi ren spacing between the p ai'its n p 'Pulleys' 2'4, 2 5, 26 are mounted on the upper ends of the shafts for belts (preferably of a V- type) 21, 28, 29, extending to corresponding pulleys 30 on a shaft 33 of a power takeoff. The pulleys are staggered in the vertical direction so that the belts do not interfere with each other. The upper ends of the auger shafts are provided with squares for removable handles 36, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, which are used if the power is not available.

Each auger is surrounded by a basket 40, made of wire mesh or perforated sheet metal, supported on bars or brackets 4| attached to the bar I. The basket is of a tapering or frusto-conical shape, the narrow lower end of the basket resting on the ground when the bar I is lowered into its operative position. I

The shaft above the auger is provided with radially extending knives 42 for breaking up the soil, raised by the auger. The knives are preferably given a certain pitch for helping to raise the soil, removed by the auger. The length of the knives is determined by the diameter of the basket at its lower end. Longer knives 43 may be provided on the upper portion of the shaft which does not reach the narrow portion of the basket.

The soil, raised by the auger, is crushed by the knives, breaking the lumps and cutting roots of the weeds. Finer soil particles are sieved through the mesh of the wire basket to the outside, gathends. The rakes'are made of horizontalbarsl with holes into which knives 53are' fitted. The

My implement can be also used shafts are rotated by pulleys 54 in the sam manher as the augers of Fig. l.

A modified arrangement is shownin Fig. I5f in 1 which the threaded shaft l1 engages a. threaded sions on a vehicle; vertical shafts rotatively supported on the bar; augers at the lower ends of the shafts; power operated flexible drive means on the vehicle connected to the vertical shafts for effecting simultaneous rotation thereof; and tubular members enclosing the augers supported on the front bar and extending to the ground for supporting the bar; the tubular members being made of wire mesh for sieving the soil raised by the augers. I

2. implement for soil preparation comprising a bar; extensions at the ends of the bar;

means to support the ends of the extensions on a vehicle; vertical shafts supported on the bar for 'rotary'and axial movements; augers' at the lower ends of the shafts; means on the vehicle for simultaneous rotation of the shafts; and tubular nut 55 frictionally fitted in the bar I." The fric-" tion between the nut and the bar 1 retains the nut in place when the auger is being operated,

but the nut rotates in its seat when the upper collar 23 reaches the endof the travel, and the auger is turned merely to crush and grind the removed soil. 7

Another modification isshown in Fig: 6, the

; auger having a smooth shaft ii -rotating in a 51. The auger iswadvanced into the soil bearin by the action of its screw-shaped blades.

It, is understood that .v rieus features and principles of each of the embodiments of the invention above described-or referred to may be utilized or substituted in the other embodiments.

While the invention hasbeen described in detail with respect to certain particular preferred examples, it will be understoodby those skilled in the art after understanding the. inventiorn that various changesand further modifications maybe made without departing from the spirit.

and scope of the'invention; and it is "intended therefore in the appended claims tocover all such curedby Letters Patent is changes andmodifications. j V

What is claimed as new and desired to be se- 1- An implement for soil preparation comprise" ing a .bar; extensions at the ends of the bar;

means to pivotally supportthe ends ofthe' exterimembers enclosing the augers supported on the front bar extending from the bar to the ground for supporting the bar on the ground at a constant elevation. V g V W 3. An implement for soil preparation comprising' a vehicle; a horizontal bar;- means to Support the bar on the vehicle; a plurality of ver: tical shafts in threaded engagement with the bar; a ugers at the lower ends of the shafts; and

means on the vehicle for rotating the shafts with the augers for causing the shafts to move axially. 4. An implement for soil preparation com prisinga vehicle; a horizontal barymeans to plvi otally support the bar on the vehicle; a plurality of vertical shafts in threaded engagement with the bar; augers atthe lower ends of the shafts;

' meansbn the vehicle for. rotating the shafts, thereby moving axially the augers; a plurality of knives radially extending from the shafts for crushing the soil raised by the augers; and tubular members supported on the barconcentrically with theshafts and extending to the ground for receiving the soil raised by the augers, the lower portions of the tubular members having a plusideof the tubular member. V

DUDLEY L. HILL.

rality of apertures for sieving the soil tothe out 

